Bracewell gets nod in MSU season opener

STARKVILLE – Ben Bracewell’s comeback from labrum surgery will be completed with the redshirt sophomore getting the opening day pitching start Friday night.

Mississippi State’s right-handed pitcher will be the first to take the mound in the 2012 season when the Bulldogs open up with the first of a three-game series against Washington State at 6 p.m. Friday.

Bulldogs look for bounce-back win at LSU

STARKVILLE — Following the most disappointing performance of the 2011-12 season, Mississippi State Rick Stansbury knew exactly where to turn to steady the locker room.

The 14-year head coach went straight to his senior point guard that happens to be a co-captain on this Bulldogs squad in Dee Bost.

Georgia stuns No. 20 MSU

STARKVILLE — Mississippi State University men’s basketball coach Rick Stansbury’s body language after Saturday’s upset loss at home to the University of Georgia told the story.

The 14-year coaching veteran had no answer why his team had no energy and his players had no respect for a Georgia team that walked away from a stunned crowd of 7,610 at Humphrey Coliseum with a 70-68 overtime victory.

MSU offers no excuses for lack of energy

STARKVILLE — With the exception of one game against the University of Mississippi, it was the same formula for the Mississippi State University men’s basketball team but a different result Saturday.

MSU, which had walked the tight rope in four straight Southeastern Conference home wins by five points or less, finally had its dangerous habit of allowing inferior opponents hang around catch up with it against a University of Georgia team that entered the game 11th in the 12-team league.

Maholm relates memories in return to MSU

STARKVILLE — With his image plastered on the side of Dudy Noble Field, Mississippi State University fans continue to wonder when the next Paul Maholm will take the mound in Starkville.

With that question still unanswered, Maholm returned to Starkville on Saturday for MSU’s First Pitch banquet, which signifies the start of the 2012 campaign.

Lady Jackets fall in region final

PHILADELPHIA — Normally coaches would be satisfied with surviving an elimination game in double overtime and accept the fact her team would be physically and emotionally drained one night later.

Not Kristie Williams.

Starkville High boys cruise to region title

PHILADELPHIA — On the way to their 2012 Region 3 championship, the Starkville High sent a message to the rest of the Mississippi schools still eligible in the Class 5A boys basketball tournament.

When the Yellow Jackets seemingly want to showcase that highly critical killer instinct that all title contending teams need to have, they are fully capable of doing so in a big way.

Bulldogs close homestand with Georgia

STARKVILLE — The pair of teams arriving to Humphrey Coliseum are coming off their best performances in the Southeastern Conference.

Mississippi State (19-5, 6-3 in SEC play) will be less than 48 hours removed from an impressive 70-60 victory over in-state rival Ole Miss in a contest where the Bulldogs were up by as many as 18 in the second half.

Sidney provides early-game spark

STARKVILLE — Once again, the in-state rival seemingly had absolutely no defensive answer for Mississippi State’s 280-pound center. Renardo Sidney bruised his way to 14 points and seven rebounds in MSU’s 70-60 victory over the Rebels leaving Ole Miss Andy Kennedy simply shaking head and feeling helpless on the sidelines.

NO DOGGING IT: Bost talks talk, walks walk as Bulldogs take out Rebels

STARKVILLE – Round two went to Mississippi State senior Dee Bost.

In highly publicized feud between University of Mississippi forward Terrance Henry and the Bulldogs point guard, MSU’s 6-foot-3 scorer took all the trash talk from the first game and transformed it into his best night of the 2011-12 season.

Ole Miss will try to sweep MSU

STARKVILLE — Of the state’s four men’s basketball teams that have serious dreams of earning a bid to the NCAA tournament, two will meet tonight in Starkville

The University of Mississippi will look to improve its at-large status by completing a regular-season sweep of Mississippi State University 6 tonight (ESPN2) at Humphrey Coliseum. Many of the bracket projections released this week have the Rebels (14-8, 4-4 Southeastern Conference) as a bubble team of the field. ESPN bracket expert Joe Lunardi has Ole Miss as the first team out of the tournament with a little more than a month until the field is selected.

Quick turnarounds part of fun for SEC men

STARKVILLE — No matter the result, Mississippi State University men’s basketball coach Rick Stansbury will leave Humphrey Coliseum arm in arm with his wife, Meo.

As he walks out the front door, the arm and hand that isn’t wrapped around his wife likely will have a scouting report or a video of the University of Georgia basketball program in it.

Less than 48 hours after No. 20 MSU (18-5, 5-3 Southeastern Conference) finishes its game against the University of Mississippi at 6 p.m. Thursday (ESPN2), it will have to prepare for another SEC home matchup.

Stansbury hopes to get more from Smith

STARKVILLE — It was almost as if Shaun Smith had to walk up to his coach, shake his head, and re-introduce himself.

After having major hip surgery and rehabilitating from that injury this fall, Mississippi State University sophomore guard Shaun Smith admitted Monday he felt like a forgotten man on the MSU men’s basketball team.

MSU may have surge in power this season

STARKVILLE — While Mississippi State baseball coach John Cohen preaches the fundamentals every day in practice at Dudy Noble Field, he anticipates his 2012 team will be able to offer something different, especially in batting practice.

One player who will command attention is Hunter Renfroe, a 6-foot-2, 211-pounder who attracts attention from fans and teammates every time he steps in the batting cage.

MSU Basketball Notebook: Smith produces off bench

STARKVILLE — The Mississippi State University men’s basketball coaches have been concerned about the number of minutes freshman Rodney Hood has been playing at small forward

On Saturday in a 91-88 victory against Auburn University, sophomore Shaun Smith showcased an ability to fill a five- to eight-minute role off the bench at that position.

Bulldogs hold off late Auburn rally

STARKVILLE — Mississippi State senior point guard Dee Bost finally admitted Saturday he’s not enjoying tension-filled home wins.

With 3:29 left in a tight Southeastern Conference battle, Bost had just as good a seat as anybody else at Humphrey Coliseum after he fouled out for the first time this season with 15 points and seven assists.

Schuessler joins MSU quarterback group

STARKVILLE — The path that led Nick Schuessler to become the newest signal caller at Mississippi State was anything but direct.

The Bulldogs, who through most of the fall had junior Tyler Russell, redshirt freshman Dak Prescott and recently transferred Dylan Favre on the roster, signed one of the best in Georgia Wednesday when they inked the 6-foot-4, 190-pound quarterback from state champion Grayson High School in Loganville, Ga.

Hood, Bulldogs feel motivated by three-game homestand

STARKVILLE — Rodney Hood sat down to watch the tape of Mississippi State’s 69-57 loss at Florida this past week in Gainesville and almost couldn’t recognize the player wear No. 4 for the Bulldogs.

“I watched the replay of the Florida game and I was very disappointed in the way I played,” Hood said. “I didn’t have a bad game but I could have been more assertive.”

Magnolia state once again focus for MSU

STARKVILLE — Minutes after Dan Mullen put on the maroon jacket signifying him as the next Mississippi State head football coach, he made a promise to the residents of his new state. Mullen vowed not only to remain loyal to the student-athletes in the Magnolia state, but also to win games and championships with those players.

“We are going to add 13 more today from the state of Mississippi (to) our program and we can keep that foundation alive,” Mullen said Wednesday.

Mullen sends message on signing day

Dan Mullen has heard the negative recruiting pitches against his football program.

Wednesday was the Mississippi State University football coach’s turn to respond.